Christmas shoppers might have thought the global retail giant had forgotten them, but that is not the case: from watches to office supplies, Amazon Australia hit the “live” button today.

After years of speculation and several libraries’ worth of analysis from local retailers about the impact of the launch, the Australian arm of the billion-dollar platform will be open for business with three weeks of festive spending still left in the year.

Amazon will lift the lid on both its Marketplace and own inventory offerings today, revealing 23 product categories including books, beauty, music, clothing and accessories, consumer electronics, toys, home products, shoes, baby products and sports and outdoors.

The launch is ahead of a longer-term product rollout that, while gradual, beats many analysts’ expectations for the speed with which its most recognisable offerings will be on local soil.

That does not appear to be the case, with Amazon Australia promising next-day options immediately off the bat and those in the major cities set to benefit from speedy delivery times from today. Read more